The 21-year-old, who arrived from Everton for £12 million over the summer, has struggled to make a telling impact at the Etihad Stadium thus far due to a spate of injuries.

However, the Italian coach says he hopes the Southport-born youngster can now start to fulfil his potential having made an encouraging comeback against the Blues.

"We bought Jack [Rodwell] because we think he is a good player," he told reporters.

"He is young and it's clear he can improve, but this year he has been unlucky with three or four injuries in a row, which meant he couldn't train very well.

"But on Sunday I was happy for him because he deserved to have something special, and he played very well. He is young and has had some problems but we hope that we have resolved the source of this problem.

"It is important that he plays well for Manchester City, and at 21 he can have a big future both for us and for the national team.

"We need good energy in this moment, and work hard on the pitch. Afterwards, when we have improved, maybe we can play differently, but right now we need that energy."